Loving her public
health care career
Penny Phung
Course: BSc double degree majoring in
developmental biology and biomedical science
Year of graduation: 2011
Job: Project officer with the Department of
Human Services
Career: Public health
Reflection: “Science was very valuable in
giving me a good foundation for my work.”
“Rather than develop cures
and treatments, it’s about
care delivered in services.”
As a child Penny Phung was always curious, asking
her parents endless questions about the natural world,
particularly the human body.
Phung works as a project officer with the federal
Department of Human Services in Canberra, handling
data on health and disease in populations.
Her Vietnamese-born parents, both cooks in a
restaurant, didn’t mind the questions – they were keen
for their daughter to ask, learn and be educated,
something they missed out on.
“Rather than develop cures and treatments it’s about
care delivered in services,” she says.
A year-nine teacher who was passionate about
science inspired Phung, and sparked her interest in
DNA and genetics. In her spare time, Phung enjoyed
watching crime shows on television, such as CSI
(Crime Scene Investigation), with its DNA riddles.
So it was a natural progression for Phung to study
science at university. She graduated from Monash in
2011 with a degree majoring in Genetics and
Developmental Biology.
A career in public health
But Phung’s interest in the human body took a different
turn from the research role she might have been
expected to pursue afterwards; she opted for a role in
public health taking a broad approach to the welfare of
the human body.
Phung’s role includes a focus on the data security of
large and complex systems that manage several
health programs.
Seeing trends in complex data
“I deal with a lot of complex data – statistics, a lot of
analysis and comparisons of trends.
”Science is very valuable in giving you a good
foundation for this sort of work,” she says.
Phung’s work also involves analysing statistical and
technical information and translating it into layman’s
terms.
“I mould the information to suit the audience, which
helps us engage key stakeholders throughout our
department and externally.”
Phung, who works with graduates from all over
Australia, says she’s still learning her way around
government and that her job offers opportunities to move
into diverse roles. She says science “stuck” with her and
that she still keeps an eye on the news for information
about breakthroughs or discoveries.
Something else that made a big impression on her was
an experience she had while studying at Monash in
2010.
Phung participated in the International Student
Volunteers project, going to Thailand to help at a centre
trying to prevent child exploitation by providing education
and teaching life skills to at-risk children.
She says it was a “lovely experience” that reminded her
to always have a positive outlook on life.